This invention relates generally to heaters and relates more particularly to fuel-burning heaters for heating fluids, such as air, with a heat exchanger.
A fuel-burning heater of the type with which this invention is concerned includes an outer shell or casing, a burner assembly for generating a flame from fuel supplied thereto, a heat exchanger mounted within the casing having an inner cavity within which the flame of the burner assembly is generated, and means for moving a heat exchange medium, such as air, between the outer surface of the heat exchanger and the inner surface of the casing. During operation of the heater, the heat exchanger is heated by the generated flame, and the heat exchange medium is heated by the heat exchanger. Such a heater is known in the art and commercially-available.
Commonly, a heater of the aforedescribed type requires electrical power for its operation. Such power, for example, may be consumed by the means for moving the heat exchange medium through the heater. Normally, the required electrical power is supplied by a battery or a power plant external of the furnace. Inasmuch as batteries require replacement and the electrical power from a power plant is not available in every application in which such a heater is desired to be used (e.g., use of a heater in remote locations), it would be desirable to provide a power source for a heater which renders the heater independent of batteries or an external power plant.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a power source for supplying the electrical power requirements of a fuel-burning heater which circumvents any need for electrical power from a battery or a power plant.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a thermoelectric generating assembly for supplying the electrical power requirements of the heater from the heat generated by the fuel burner assembly.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide such an assembly which is adapted to be interchanged with t he heat exchanger of a commercially-available heater supplied with a heat exchanger so that the commercially-available heater can be converted to one which is independent of electrical power from a battery or an external power plant.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method of replacing the heat exchanger of a commercially-available heater with a thermoelectric generating assembly.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such an assembly which is durable in construction and effective in operation.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a heater within which a thermoelectric generator is incorporated.